ISO 9000 quality standards - Version 2000

In 1987, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published the first version of the 9000 series of quality management standards. The first phase of a two-stage revision undertaken in 1990 resulted in the version published in 1994. The second phase resulted in the publication of a new version in 2000.

This 2000 revision is a major evolution of existing texts. The aim is to offer genuine management tools:

• approachable and easy to understand;

• reflecting the reality of corporate quality management practices;

• ensuring continuity with the 1994 version of the standards ;

• and, above all, that are useful to companies in terms of their impact on customer satisfaction and sustainable performance growth.

This article presents the 2000 version of these standards, focusing on the principles that governed their development. Developments are highlighted and analyzed, in particular by comparison with the 1994 version.

In addition, this new 2000 product line is part of a broader, more coherent system, which takes into account recent developments in quality management. In particular, the article explains the relationship between quality awards and environmental management (14000 series standards). Finally, the article concludes with the foreseeable evolution of the quality function within the company.